One Little Bite
by anonyreaderfan
Summary: Tyler and Stefan are forced to flee Mystic Falls.  This is a chronicle of their adventures.
1. Prologue

In my clumsy attempts to edit this story I accidentally deleted a chapter and then things went from bad to worse. All chapters are now present in the correct order even though it appears Chapter 8 is missing. My apologies to those who were kind enough to review – if I deleted your review it was totally unintentional! Believe me – I've learned from this disaster.

~ X ~

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.

~ X ~

Klaus did not accept rejection – not from his stepfather; not from his mother; not from his brothers; not from his sister; and most definitely not from a newborn vampire that he had honored beyond all others with his love. No one rejected him and because Caroline Forbes had the audacity to do just that, she had to die.

Her frightened blue eyes caught and held Tyler's as shock and unbearable agony flashed across her face. He watched in disbelief, as the light in her eyes slowly died and her skin turned grey veined. His eyes saw Klaus hold her heart in his hand, blood dripping down to the floor.

Tyler's mind couldn't register the fact that she was really dead. When the numbness finally cleared and the reality of her death penetrated through to his consciousness he launched himself at Klaus, eyes yellow, fangs protruding. Klaus used the arm holding Caroline's heart to swat him down like he was a fly. Tyler was sickened by the knowledge that Caroline's blood splattered his face.

Klaus's wrath fell next on him. He screamed like a crazy man. "You don't deserve to be a hybrid. I gave you this as a gift and you betrayed me. Every one betrays me." His spit sprayed Tyler's face, mingling with the blood flecks from Caroline's heart.

Klaus threw the heart to smash against the wall and grabbed Tyler by the neck, hauling him to his feet.

"Find Stefan and bite him. I forbid you to stake him. I want him to die in agony and I hope his brother rips your heart out. Now go! Get out of my sight!"

The Original threw Tyler against the wall and then walked slowly over to the marbleized body of the woman-girl he had wanted. He knelt by her body, screaming his rage and frustration. "Why? Why did you make me do this? Why?"

Tyler staggered out, coming face to face with Esther at the bottom of the grand staircase. She took one look at his bloody face and hurried past him without a word.

Tyler slunk out of the mansion past the rest of the hybrid pack, huddling uncertainly in the foyer. They snarled their displeasure at this traitor in their midst, but allowed him to pass unmolested. It was the master's decision to let him meet his fate.

Tyler's keen hearing allowed him to hear Klaus's rant turn to sobs of agonizing regret. "I didn't want this to happen. I just wanted to love you. Why wouldn't you let me love you?"


	2. The Get Away

Elena's strangled cry and look of absolute horror made Elijah and Damon turn back to see Stefan holding his arm out in front of him, puncture marks oozing blood. Tyler stood nearby shamefaced. He opened his hands in a helpless gesture. "He ordered me to."

They were at the Lake House, Elijah having convinced them to flee with Elena from his mother and the rest of his siblings. He had professed grave doubts about his mother's intentions towards the rest of her family. The death of the Originals did not greatly trouble the trio, but the fact that Esther planned to use Elena as part of a sacrifice to kill them, did.

Tyler swallowed and continued. "He killed Caroline." Elena pushed her fist into her mouth, muffling her sobs. "He's distracted now, but it will only buy you a little time. He's sending his hybrids to slow you, but you won't have much time before he comes himself." He stressed. "You have to go and go now!"

Damon stood rooted to the spot. "No . .No . . No!" He couldn't seem to stop the useless denials escaping from his mouth. He met his brother's eyes and Stefan's sad little twisted smile told it all.

"Don't even think about it. There's no leverage this time. Save Elena and yourself." Stefan's eyes flashed quickly to Elijah's in mute appeal.

Elijah looked sad, but resigned and broke Damon's neck before the fury even had time to fully register on the vampire's face. "We don't have time to waste."

He dumped Damon unceremoniously in the backseat of the car, half of his body on the floor, and issued an order to Elena. "Get in!"

Her tear filled eyes pleaded with Elijah. "There must be something you can do!"

The very real look of pity on his face made her lose all hope. He picked her up and thrust her into the passenger side front seat of the car.

He bent to pick up a branch, determined to mercifully stake Stefan.

"Go! I'll find a way to kill myself, but I'll buy you as much time as possible."

Elijah gave him a measuring stare. "You are an honorable man, Stefan. I wish we had more time to get to know each other."

They shook hands and Elijah, wasting no time, hopped in the car. Elena watched, tears dripping down her cheeks, face pressed against the window, for as long as Stefan was visible.

Stefan turned to Tyler. "Can you help me fight them or are you forbidden?"

"He didn't specifically forbid me to fight his hybrids. As long as I don't act directly against him, I can get around the siring." Tyler paused, his fists clenching and unclenching, before growling, "he killed Caroline." He closed his eyes, reliving her death. "I'll kill as many of his hybrids as I can before they bring me down!"

Stefan nodded his understanding. "Let's backtrack on your trail. They'll eventually get to the Lake House, but we can get them to follow us and buy the others more time. What roads did you cross?"

"Fells Road was the last major crossing."

Stefan thought for a moment. "We'll go back to Fells Road. We can lead them off to the Truck Stop. If, and it's a really doubtful if, we can kill them we can grab a ride on one of the trucks leaving and we can get you out of here. You might survive."

Stefan threw his car keys at Tyler and the two of them jumped into Stefan's little red car.

"Love this car. Always wanted to take it on you and see what it could do." Tyler took a moment to run his hands lovingly over the dash.

"Now's your chance, buddy. Get us there as fast as you can."

They screeched to a halt at Fell's Road. They both got out and Tyler quickly found the scent of his first crossing.

Stefan grimaced as he stabbed the bite wound with a stick and let the blood drip to the ground. Tyler 's wrinkled brow and puzzled expression begged for an explanation.

"They'll smell the blood and follow. By the time Klaus makes them retrace their steps he may no longer be able to pick up the others' scents."

They returned to the car, Stefan squeezing out a small amount of blood and smearing one of the tires before entering the car.

The tires squealed as they pulled into the Truck Stop parking lot. They jumped out almost before the car was parked and sped into the nearby woods, close enough to see the parking lot, but in an area where the leaves were pretty thick.

Stefan broke off a couple of sturdy branches, handing one to Tyler.

Stefan looked up and issued a command. "Up in the trees. We can jump down on them." Tyler nodded, but felt strangely reluctant.

Stefan, noticing his hesitation, grinned. "Wolves don't like climbing trees."

"Is that it?" Tyler said. "Cause I don't like this."

They waited silently and before long three men and a woman sped over to the little red car. They watched intently as the hybrids examined the car and quickly picked up their trail. Before long they were below the trees where the two were hidden. Tyler looked at Stefan, and he nodded. He reached in his pockets and pulled the triggers on two wolfbane grenades. The hybrids look up at the sound and Stefan threw them, covering three of them. They screamed in pain as the wolfsbane burned their eyes. Stefan and Tyler simultaneously jumped down, Tyler staking the hybrid that wasn't covered in wolfsbane.

He quickly jumped on the guy's back and using his weight to hold the body down, yanked on his head with all his strength. He felt the spine and tendons tear and he threw the severed head as far from himself as he could.

Stefan used his body weight to knock all three off their feet. He staked one hybrid through the hip while pointing his fingers and plunging them through the woman's ribs, grasping and then pulling out her heart. One of the men who had only been knocked to his knees got up and turned to attack Stefan, but he pushed the still beating heart into his mouth, preventing a bite. He used his other hand to break the man's neck. The third one was still down and Tyler staked him from behind. Stefan tore out the hearts from both of them, cautioning Tyler not to get wolfsbane on himself.

Stefan reeled, the poison from his bite, beginning to affect him. He smiled through the pain. "We did it. We brought them some time. You need to run. Can you end this for me? I don't care to linger on."

Tyler slowly shook his head. "I'm forbidden to kill you. He wants you to suffer."

Stefan laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "That's definitely Klaus. Sharpen a branch and I can impale myself on it."

"Hang on a little longer. If we leave together and Klaus can't immediately track Elijah and Elena, he'll come after us. It will piss him off that we're still alive. Your wound's leaking and he'll smell me. We can give them even more time than we thought."

Stefan, bent over, hands on his knees, nodded and swallowed. He breathed deeply several times and then straightened. "Let's do it while I still can."

Tyler grabbed his arm and the two sped back to the truck stop. A driver, walking up to his SUV, was intercepted and compelled to drive them to a freight train depot.


	3. On The Road

Luck was on their side. They quickly broke into a freight car, part of a long train, pulling out of the depot. It was stuffed with huge cartons of manufactured goods, but they had enough room to squeeze in behind the packages. The car rattled and shook, the metal walls making a tremendous racket.

"Hey, this is my car!" An angry protest told them they were not alone.

Tyler and Stefan exchanged glances. The hybrid said, "someone has to be on our side. You need some blood."

Stefan slid down against the rusty metal wall, sitting on the cold floor, ignoring the shabbily dressed man that shook his fist at him. He hung his head. "I don't feel so good."

"You sick? Get away from me. Don't need no sickness."

"Nothing you can catch." Tyler snorted.

"Arrgh." The man pulled his shabby blanket closer around his shoulders.

Tyler looked at him in disgust. "Not a very appetizing meal."

Stefan gave a little laugh. "Beggars can't be choosers." He leaned his head back against the wall. "Hey, Mr. Personality. Where's the train headed?"

The guy peered at him in the dim light. "Detroit, from what I hear."

Tyler looked around, frowning at the dirty floor. He ended up sitting on a small wooden crate. After awhile his nose crinkled in disgust. "My God, you stink."

The man looked offended. "Sorry, the powder room was occupied and I couldn't wash."

That made Stefan laugh weakly. "You'll get over your nice notions when you get hungry enough."

The bum looked warily at the two men and mumbled to himself something about what kind of nut bags were riding the rails these days.

"I don't think I could," Tyler mumbled. "Could you eat from that?"

"From much worse. He's not bad. Pissed himself a couple of times – hasn't washed in a couple of weeks, but that's all."

"Ugh." Tyler put his hand over his eyes. "Really, Stefan. Worse than that?"

Stefan eyes lost focus as he reminisced. "When I was turned the Civil War was on. I had to be careful not to go after anyone in Mystic Falls. People knew about vampires so I used to visit the makeshift war hospitals. They had no antibiotics, no real knowledge about infection. They would take out bullets with knives they just washed in semi hot water. Amputations were done with the same knives. Infections ran rampart. In the summer flies would lay their eggs in the wounds. The stench was unbelievable." He paused and sighed. "I was hungry and a ripper, but it was still a mercy to put some of them out or their misery."

"How could you stomach it?" Tyler looked horrified.

"You have to control the sensations you let through, otherwise they overwhelm you. You hone in on the copper scent of the blood, not the stench of rotting flesh. You make your ears hear the thump thump of the heart, not the moans of pain. You filter, otherwise you go crazy." He shrugged. "When you're hungry enough you eat anything. Humans will do the same thing."

Tyler hugged his body with his arms. He didn't feel the actual cold, but he felt cold inside anyway.

Stefan breathed out hard through his nose. "I don't feel so good. You better find something for me to finish myself with."

Tyler glanced at him, then hesitated before saying, "I don't want to."

"You can't kill me and when the dementia hits I'll try to hurt you. What're ya gonna do then?" He looked sharply at the hybrid. "It's okay you know. Damon and Elena got out. That's what was important to me. I've lived long enough."

There was no answer for a long time and then finally he made a quiet, rather shame faced admission. "I don't want to be alone."

Stefan opened his mouth to reply and then closed it. There was really nothing for him to say.

After about eight hours Tyler got hungry. He looked at the vagrant huddled under his blanket and sighed noisily, resigning himself to drinking from the smelly man.

Stefan had been silent for the last four hours. Tyler went over and touched him on the shoulder. "I need to eat."

The vampire didn't move. So Tyler shook him hard. It took several increasingly forceful shakes, but eventually Tyler got him to respond.

"Huh? Huh?" Stefan slowly woke up, squinting at the hybrid in the almost dark of the freight car. "What's the matter?" He tried to force himself up from the slumped position he had passed out in, groaning when he put weight on the bitten arm.

"I need to eat and I'm not sure I can." Tyler complained, "that guy is gross."

"Bring him over here." Tyler complied, compelling the bum to shut up and obey.

"Do like I said before. Listen to the blood flowing; listen to the heart. Let only that sound fill your ears. Got it?"

"Yes." Tyler's eyes were half closed.

"Now, search for the copper smell. Ignore everything else. Imagine the smell of blood and find it."

Tyler's eyes were completely closed now, his nostrils flared. His eye veins darkened and he struck with his canines, latching on and drinking deeply.

As soon as he was satisfied he drew back, carefully wiping the drops on his mouth with his fingers and licking them clean. "You need some."

He looked closer at Stefan when there was no response and found that the vampire had lost consciousness again.

As the hours passed Tyler grew more and more anxious. He looked at his watch and it was now eighteen hours since they had hopped on the train. When it pulled into a depot and stopped Taylor grabbed the vagrant and dumped him on the side of the tracks. He quickly snatched an unsuspecting railroad worker, quenching his hunger as quickly as possible. As it was, he had to leap on to the freight car as it slowly pulled away from the station.

He climbed back over the crates to where Stefan was now slumped over on the floor. He felt Stefan's forehead and it was warm to the touch. Tyler didn't think that was normal for a vampire. Whenever he had brushed against one of the Salvatore brothers or Klaus they were on the cool side. His mind shied away from all thoughts of holding Caroline and what she felt like. It was just too painful.

He sat down next to Stefan and pulled him up to prop him up against his chest. The vampire moaned and whispered, "Damon. I burn, Damon. Make it stop." The vampire started to thrash around muttering, "no, no, no."

Tyler pinned his arms to his side and called his name repeatedly. Stefan finally woke, but was disoriented. Tyler spoke soothingly to him and he eventually calmed down, appearing somewhat lucid. Tyler judged it would be another three or four hours before they reached their destination. He wasn't sure what he could do once they got there, but he felt at least he could think better if he was away from the jarring motion of the freight car.


	4. Time To Stop

The train finally pulled into Detroit. Tyler cautiously peered out of the freight car, before helping Stefan jump down. Stefan, barely conscious, moaned as he hit the ground. Tyler felt the burning heat in his body through his shirt. He carefully pulled the gory sleeve back and was instantly alarmed. The bite was oozing pus and looked gangrenous. There were angry red-black lines running from the wound and the open sore had definitely spread, now covering most of his forearm.

Tyler was hungry again and thought Stefan should be too since he hadn't eaten in at least twenty two hours. He spotted a vagrant pushing a stolen shopping cart. After looking around to make sure no one else was near, he urged Stefan down into a sitting position. Tyler sped over, efficiently compelling the man and drinking from his neck. Once he took the edge off his hunger he pulled the man over to where he left Stefan.

Tyler forced the vagrant down to his knees next to the vampire. Stefan's veins started to darken, but he couldn't make his fangs emerge. Tyler judged he was too weak, so he carefully bit the man again and held the man's arm up to the vampire's mouth.

Stefan wasn't able to drink much before he moaned and keeled over.

Tyler, desperate, started to panic and then it hit him. He wasn't powerful like Klaus, but he was hybrid. He had nothing to lose so he decided to feed Stefan some of his blood.

He bit his wrist and then rolled Stefan over, allowing the blood to trickle into his mouth for as long as the wound stayed open. He repeated this process three more times, rubbing Stefan's throat to force him to swallow. "Whatever you do, don't give me any help." He vented his frustration at the unconscious vampire. "Right, Tyler like he can hear you."

He looked around and decided they couldn't stay where they were. It would soon be dawn and the train yard would get busy. He pulled Stefan up to a standing position, shaking him hard. Tyler took him by the chin and said, "you have to help me. Stay on your feet. Don't worry about where we're going – just stay on your feet. I need to get us indoors."

"Okay." Stefan's response was weak, but Tyler was cheered by the fact that the vampire had regained consciousness.

Tyler ducked under Stefan's unbitten arm straightening up so he supported the vampire's weight. He wrapped an arm around Stefan's waist and reached up to steady the arm on his shoulder. He sped out of the train depot and ended up in a seedy neighborhood with dirty trash strewn streets, cracked sidewalks, and dilapidated buildings. He spotted a Rooms For Rent sign in a dirty window. A faint light was visible through one cracked pane and Tyler headed for it.

He pushed open the door and half dragged the rapidly fading vampire through it. He dumped him into a rickety chair in the corner and walked up to a wire cage, banging the bell on the counter.

"Coming, coming." The response to the noise Tyler was making was unenthusiastic. "Hold your horses."

A very disheveled, grizzled, older man came out, chewing the last of whatever he was eating. He eyed the two, lips twisting as he took in Stefan, with his bloodstained shirt, slumped over in the chair.

"Don't bring him in here if he's dying. Don't need any more trouble with the cops."

Tyler had no patience left. He dilated his pupils and issued a compulsion. "Give us a room and the key for it. Now!"

"Sure." The man pulled out an old fashioned key and said, "room 202."

"Write us down in the register as paid for a week. Put down any name you want. " Tyler looked at Stefan and then asked, "is there an elevator?"

The man looked at him like he was crazy so Tyler just said, "never mind." He pulled Stefan to a standing position, muscling him up the dirty narrow stairs, and managing to open the warped door without dropping the vampire.

He turned on the light switch, just inside the door. A bare bulb in the ceiling highlighted a battered old bureau, two worn armchairs, and a bed that would probably just fit the two of them. A half open door revealed a small bathroom with a stained sink.

Tyler swore at himself, angry that he hadn't specified two beds or a double. At this point he couldn't face going back down. Both of them desperately needed to sleep.

He half dragged the vampire over to the bed and dropped him on top of the covers, pushing him to the far side against the wall so he wouldn't fall out and settled down beside him. Stefan shivered and pushed against him as if seeking warmth. There was a definite change in his body temperature. He was now cold where before he had been raging hot. Tyler thought about getting under the blankets, but their musty smell dissuaded him. He pushed Stefan flat and half covered him with his body. The vampire seemed to settle down. Tyler checked his arm again and at least it didn't look any worse.

He bit his arm and forced more blood down Stefan's mouth. This time the vampire swallowed on his own. "Hmmm. Tyler, my boy, you are a genius." He was hopeful for the first time since leaving Mystic Falls.


	5. Recovery

In the morning he woke to find himself staring into Stefan's clouded, dull green eyes. He jumped as the vampire weakly asked, "where are we and how come I'm alive?"

Tyler said, "Detroit and I gave you some of my blood. How ya feeling?"

"Hot, cold, wrong."

"Want some food?" Tyler asked.

"No, just sleep." Stefan's eyes closed while he was still talking.

His lethargy worried Tyler. He got up and left the hotel, feeding until he thought he would burst. When he came back to the dingy rented room he quickly opened the door and slipped in. Stefan was still lying in bed, one arm thrown over his face. Tyler put a hand on his chest only to discover his shirt was soaked with sweat. Tyler drew his hand back, wiping it on the grimy gray bedspread, and then shook Stefan gently at first, gradually increasing the intensity when he didn't respond.

Stefan eventually opened his pink rimmed eyes and muttered,"what?"

"Do vampires sweat?" Tyler asked anxiously.

"No."

Tyler sighed deeply. "Great." He frowned, before urging, "sit up Stefan. You need to eat."

"No." Stefan refused and rolled over only to be grabbed and forced to sit up.

Stefan moaned. "Don't touch me. It hurts."

"Can't help it." Tyler sat on the bed next to Stefan, and bit his wrist, pushing it into the vampire's mouth.

Stefan was unenthusiastic, but he did drink for the short while the blood flowed. Tyler waited, expecting Stefan to bite him to get more, but the vampire just closed his eyes. Tyler rolled his eyes and bit his wrist again forcing it into Stefan's mouth. The vampire opened his eyes, looking at Tyler, but his weak sucking didn't stand a chance against the hybrid's healing powers and the puncture marks quickly closed.

"This is getting us nowhere." Tyler was disgusted. "I'll be back."

Tyler raced downstairs to the desk and peered into the cage. "Hey there." When he didn't get an answer he rang the little bell over and over again.

"Take it easy, I'm coming." The greasy haired attendant, different from the one Tyler had compelled to rent the room, shuffled over. This one was younger, but no smarter looking.

Tyler opened his eyes to compel the human. "I need a knife and a cup or bottle. A sharp knife."

"Sure thing." The man reached under the counter and came out with a butcher knife and a dirty coffee cup. Tyler looked revolted. "Do you EVER wash anything around here?" He squinted and then added, "including yourself?"

The man scratched his head and thought. "No, I don't really bother."

"No kidding." Tyler took the proffered knife and cup and raced back upstairs.

Stefan had slumped over so Tyler propped him back up, waking the vampire in the process. His labored breathing alarmed Tyler. The vampire still looked bad. The edges of his eyes were pink and crusty around the tear ducts. His usually carefully groomed hair was plastered to his head and his shirt was covered with sweat rings.

Tyler sliced open his hand and held the cut open until the coffee cup was full. He then shook Stefan and made him drink. Every time the vampire tried to stop Tyler would shake him until he drank again.

When he had consumed the entire cup he appeared better even to Tyler's critical eyes and ears. His breathing was definitely easier and his eyes were a little brighter. He even reached up to wipe his mouth where a little blood lingered.

"All right." Tyler settled back in satisfaction. "I think this may be working."

"Where are we?" Stefan asked.

"I told you already. We're in Detroit."

"How'd we get here? Have I been out for long?"

"You've been out of it for awhile. I don't know how much you remember from the freight train, but we got here and I found this place to hide out in. We weren't followed so we can stay here until you heal. How you feeling now?"

"Weak, but no more bad dreams."

"You were really out of it. It wasn't easy, let me tell you. Last night you were thrashing and muttering and moaning. You punched me in the head a couple of times. I had to lay on top of you to keep you down."

Tyler kept up round the clock feeding for a week and Stefan gradually got stronger.

As the vampire got better he started to be aware of and increasingly critical of his surroundings.

"Man, Tyler, why did you put us in this craphole?" His latest complaint irritated the hybrid.

"Sure, go ahead and criticize. I'm the one who saved your sorry behind. I was a little desperate, ya know."

"Have you looked at the sheets? Do you know what those white stains are?"

"Gross!" Tyler crinkled his nose in revulsion. "Well, at least we slept on top of the blankets."

"Well, I gotta tell you, it's a good thing bed bugs won't stay on vampires, otherwise we'd be in trouble."

Tyler looked horrified. "You're kidding right?"

"No, no I'm not. Wish I could say the same for the fleas. You're covered."

"What? What?" Tyler frantically searched his arms and chest.

"Oh yeah, they always go for wolves and dogs."

Tyler kept searching until he noticed that Stefan couldn't suppress a little grin.

He swore at the vampire and punched him, but gently, mindful of his still semi weak state.

When Stefan felt well enough to get up and clean himself he was repulsed when he went into the bathroom. He stood in the doorway leaning against the doorframe staring at the stained sink and cracked toilet seat. "I wanted to clean up, but this is nasty."

Tyler, sitting on the better of the two wobbly chairs, agreed. "You need to . . you stink."

Stefan was offended. "It's not my fault!"

"Well, it's not my fault. I want to move to better digs, but we can't with the way you look and smell."

"Did you think that maybe you should go get us some new clothes?" Stefan's tone implied Tyler should have known better.

"Excuse me!" Tyler sarcastically defended himself. "I was concentrating on keeping you alive!"

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, but this place is the pits. Let's find someplace clean."

"Are you strong enough to move?" Tyler looked doubtful.

"Yeah, there 's no vampire speed for me, but I can walk like a human."

The pair strolled along until they saw a 'Room for Rent' sign outside a modest little house in a lower middle class neighborhood. They waited until an elderly woman walked out with her purse. They followed her until she was around the corner and then caught up with her and compelled her to go home and invite them in.

"Here's some towels for you boys." She smiled pleasantly. "Both of you really smell and you –." She pointed at Stefan. "Your clothes are disgusting. I have to go do my shopping now."

They thanked her and then took turns taking long, steamy hot showers in the spotless bathroom.


	6. Feeding

Stefan rested up at Mrs. Jenkins house for another week, supping on Taylor's blood. He then refused to drink for the next couple of days wanting to get back to a mixed human and animal blood diet and hopefully have some control. After two days of rats and a few squirrels, he announced, "I'm hungry. Let's go eat something more substantial."

"You sure?" Tyler watched as Stefan zipped up his jacket, knowing the vampire meant he was ready for human blood.

"Yes, mother, I'm sure." Stefan poked fun at him. "You are such a good little babysitter."

"Shut up!" Tyler hated being teased. Stefan gently punched him in the shoulder as he brushed by him in the narrow hallway. Tyler immediately responded with a slightly rougher punch.

"Now boys, don't fight." Mrs. Jenkins, the owner of the house, gently chided, looking up from the kitchen table she was scrubbing. "Stefan, you should go have a nice supper. You're looking a little peaked. I don't know why you won't let me cook more for you."

"Thanks, but we don't want to put you out." Tyler politely responded.

"Well, I feel guilty. You boys fixed so many things for me that I just couldn't do and didn't have the money to hire someone to do. " She put her hands to her cheeks. "That leaky sink and shaky staircase fixed and the fence patched and then you give me all that rent money." She was practically near tears. "I was real worried before you boys came along. My social security just about lets me hang on to this house."

"No problem, Mrs. Jenkins. We enjoy doing it and besides it keeps Tyler out of trouble." Stefan joked.

Tyler shot him a look, but was sincere when he reassured the elderly woman. "I enjoyed doing it. I had time on my hands when I was looking after Stefan and I was glad I could help."

She patted Tyler's cheek. "You're such a good boy to be looking after your friend when he had the flu so bad. Nasty thing, that flu. Carried off my mother, it did." She shook her head reminiscing about prior times. She sighed and came back to the present.

"Well, you boys be careful. This neighborhood isn't what it used to be. I don't normally go out at night. The gangs have started coming through here and I'd hate to see two nice boys like you get hurt."

"We'll be careful." Stefan promised. "We have our keys so make sure you lock the door after us."

The two left, rapidly speeding up to get to the neighborhood that Tyler had become accustomed to hunting in. If Tyler were human he would have never ventured into this area. Graffiti and trash were everywhere. Discarded needles marked the spots where the junkies congregated. Few people were on the streets even this early in the evening. Those who did move about, did so in large groups, wearing their colors.

The two moved swiftly and silently from shadow to shadow.

Suddenly a far off scream pierced the silence and the smell of hot fresh blood wafted in on the cold night air.

Tyler noted it, but it was Stefan's behavior that captured his attention.

Stefan's body quivered slightly, a small anticipatory smile exposing his excitement. This along with a minute tilt to his head, a quick flare of his nostrils, and a flick of his tongue against his open teeth indicated he was in hunting mode.

"_He's locating his prey_." The thought popped unbidden into Tyler's mind. Tyler had heard Klaus refer to Stefan as a ripper, but he had never observed him in action. The Stefan he knew was a controlled individual and this glimpse of a very different Stefan fascinated him.

The next scream and the vampire was a blur.

Tyler followed, to find a young man, almost a boy, sprawled on the ground, a wallet and dollar bills surrounding him, a knife sticking out of his arm. His eyes, at the same time, noted Stefan drinking from a stocky guy's throat. Suddenly he pulled away with a ripping sound, taking half the man's throat with him. He tossed him to the ground as casually as he would a gum wrapper. The vampire's eyes were black; blood dripping out of his open mouth, staining his teeth and clothes.

A young girl, eyes huge, stood by apparently stunned. Tyler watched in horror as awareness came back to her face and she screamed and ran, tripping before she took two steps. Stefan was after her in a flash, but appeared confused to find her on the ground and hovered close by, his body vibrating with excitement.

"Freeze!" Tyler shouted. "Whatever you do, don't get up."

Stefan vanished and the girl rose up to one knee. "Don't!" Tyler warned.

Stefan was back in a flash, but the girl instinctively curled into a ball, confusing the vampire. He didn't want dead prey. He didn't want a meal delivered to him. He wanted to stalk and pounce and the girl's actions dissatisfied him. He wanted her to run. He darted away again hoping to lure her into thinking it was safe to move.

Tyler moved slowly between Stefan and his prey and reached down, grabbing the ashen faced girl by the chin. His pupils dilated as he spoke. "I'm going to get him out of here. Don't move until you've counted to five hundred. Then you will remember nothing, but that you were mugged. You tried to run, but you tripped and hit your head. You don't know what else happened."

"One and two and three and . . " The voice quavered with terror.

Stefan came back to check on his prey and Tyler grabbed his arm in a viselike grip. Stefan growled low in his throat, but Tyler simply tightened his grip. He held Stefan's eyes and walked them both over to the young man lying on the ground. He bent down to feel his pulse, never looking away from Stefan. "He's alive."

"Come with me," Tyler ordered.

Stefan held his ground, eyes remote, head tilted, listening for signs that the girl might be moving.

Tyler now grabbed him with both hands and shook him hard. "Come with me!" he insisted.

The engorged veins under Stefan's eyes gradually dissipated and his eyes lightened. He looked around him and shook himself.

"Okay."

Tyler and Stefan, firmly held, vanished in a flash.


	7. Aftermath

They made it to Mrs. Jenkins' house in record time and noiselessly entered, not wanting to wake the elderly woman.

Stefan walked into the cozy little kitchen and collapsed in a chair at the table, burying his head in his hands.

Tyler stood in the doorway, voice lowered so only another vampire could hear. "What was that? I've never seen anything like it. Why did you rip out his throat?" Tyler started to pace, but the confines of the kitchen let him go only a few steps each way. "Oh my God!" "Oh My God!" He repeated staring at Stefan like he had never seen him before.

Stefan laughed harshly and looked up. "I'm a ripper. That's what rippers do. I have no control."

He leaned on the table again, covering his mouth with his hands, elbows resting on the table. Suddenly, he pounded the table splintering it.

"What's that?" An old quavering voice called out. "Who's there?"

"It's us, Mrs. Jenkins. Sorry, we dropped something. Go back to sleep." Tyler soothed her.

"Oh thank God. You scared me."

"Sorry!" Tyler apologized again.

He looked at the damaged table and idly remarked. "Guess I got another project."

Stefan ran his hands through his hair. "I thought I could control it. What am I going to do?" He looked at Tyler. "I don't want to be this way. I don't want to kill people."

Tyler heard desperation in his voice. "I didn't notice you being like this in the Falls. Why now?" Tyler questioned.

"I think I knew I was going to feed. Once I start hunting – it just comes over me. I get excited and I lose control."

"Well, no more hunting for you." Tyler shook his head, still overwhelmed by what he had witnessed.

Stefan sighed. "We'll have to try to get into a hospital and get blood bags."

Tyler frowned, crossing his arms, and staring at the floor. "Isn't that what a lot of vampires do? Raid the hospitals?"

Stefan thought a moment. "You think we'll meet others, huh?"

"The thought did cross my mind. We don't know who Klaus has looking for us." Tyler looked worried. "We need to stay out of sight."

"We gotta think how we're going to do this." Stefan grimaced. "Man, I really lost it when she screamed."

"We won't let you get hungry." Tyler shrugged. "Simple. You were okay when you weren't hungry."

"I didn't feed enough tonight cause I killed him first." Stefan was frustrated. "The next time I go out, I'll still be hungry."

"No you won't. Just feed from me." Tyler, seeing Stefan's doubtful face said, "why not? It doesn't really hurt and you were fine when that's all you ate." Tyler stared at him, noticing the tense shoulders and the clenched fists. "What's the problem? Do you have a better solution?"

"No." Stefan's mouth was set in a straight line, his brows lowered.

The short terse reply from the vampire confused Tyler. "You look mad. Are you mad at me?"

Stefan looked at him and grimaced. "I'm mad, but I'm mad at me. What is wrong with me? No other vampire I know has this problem. For God's sake I drank my own father's blood. Ripped his body. Why me?" he asked despairingly. His shoulders hunched and he buried his face in his hands again.

Tyler watched him and then walked over to stand besides the distraught vampire. His hand fluttered uncertainly, unsure of himself, and then finally settled on Stefan's shoulder. He clumsily patted him several times saying, "it will be alright." But Tyler wasn't sure who he was trying to reassure – Stefan or himself.

Stefan got a hold of himself, embarrassed to have lost it in front of Tyler. He sighed. "I need to eat," he said shamefaced.

"No problem man." Tyler went to the old fashioned cabinets and opened the drawer, pulling out a sharp butcher knife. He took a glass out of another cabinet and sat down at the table across from Stefan. He cut his hand without any fanfare and allowed the blood to flow into the glass. When the cut healed he pushed the glass across the table to an eager Stefan, who snatched it from his hand and drained it. He licked the insides of the glass. Once he realized what he was doing he stopped and self consciously set it back on the table. He stared at it for a moment, uncomfortable, and then quickly got up and washed and dried it, putting it back in the cabinet.

Tyler watched him the whole time without saying a word. Stefan turned from the cabinet and looked at Tyler for a moment before shrugging. "It'll work. Let's go to bed."

The two headed into the small bedroom. "Dibbs on the shower." Tyler called.

Stefan just sat on the double bed until Tyler came out and then got up for his turn. When he came back Tyler was in bed, but had left the light on.

"Next place we get let's make sure there's two beds or two bedrooms and the décor is not pink and frilly." Stefan smiled for the first time since they went out to eat. It was a small smile, but at least it was a smile which relieved Tyler. "That's what old ladies like and you know Mrs. Jenkins was looking to get a college age or single working girl here. She didn't know two guys would compel her to rent out her room to them."

"True, but this is just plain cheap and gaudy."

"Hey, she does the best she can. Sorry it's not up to the Lockwood standards." Stefan liked the frail old lady and admired her for trying to keep her house going when things were obviously so tough for her.

"You make me sound snooty. I'm not snooty just cause I have good taste. " Tyler protested.

Stefan shut the light off and slipped in to bed. "Move over, Tyler. You're on my side."

"I'm bigger than you and I need more room. Stop complaining."

After a little more pushing and shoving the two settled down to sleep.


	8. Settling In

The two established a routine over the next four months. Though the quarters were cramped they felt comfortable with the old lady. They kept a low profile and believed they had successfully avoided bringing any attention to themselves besides that first disastrous attempt by Stefan to feed on a human. They avoided the bars and nightlife which would attract vampires. Tyler assured Stefan he would easily smell another werewolf; wolves could always smell their own kind.

Stefan played it safe and made no attempt to hunt. They had worked out their feeding pattern and while at first it had seemed weird they had both adapted and didn't think twice about it.

They changed their hunting to the daytime, going into neighborhoods where the vagrants wandered. They were both adept at moving quickly and silently through the neighborhood. They knew all the popular dumpsters and the dumpster divers in the back alleys.

They spotted a young man, heavily bearded, shabbily dressed, so far into a restaurant dumpster that he was in danger of falling in. They quickly moved in, Tyler grabbing him and pushing him up against the alleyway wall. Stefan performed the compulsion. "Stand still, no sound." He stunk, but Tyler had adjusted to the need to ignore body odor and dirty skin. He took his time evaluating where to feed now that the man was compliant. The human was reasonably healthy which was good since the two didn't want to leave any bodies around. He had a fairly high collar on his shirt and a ragged scarf which appeared from its filthy condition to be worn constantly. Tyler, seeing this, decided to feed from the neck. If there was a chance of the bite marks being exposed he would pick the femoral artery near the groin.

Decision made, he quickly fanged up and bit the man sucking rapidly, while at the same time pushing up his jacket and shirt sleeve, holding his wrist out to Stefan. The vampire quickly raised it to his lips and sunk his fangs in. Tyler, twisted a little to watch him for a moment, and then turned his entire attention back to feeding on the human.

At first, he used to cut himself to feed the vampire, but one time Stefan had been really hungry and a hungry Stefan was a sulky, annoying, and potentially deadly Stefan. Tyler hadn't wanted to listen to him so he just shoved his wrist into the vampire's mouth and shouted, "feed". He had been amazed to realize he actually enjoyed it when the vampire fed from him. He didn't know how to describe it, but he could feel Stefan's pleasure when he drank; a warm happy feeling.

There was another development that surprised both of them. It happened on the first full moon away from Klaus. Tyler was irritable and moody the closer the approach of the full moon. His aggressiveness also increased and confinement in the small house, which he usually appreciated, annoyed him.

Stefan had made a joking remark about feeding, neither one of them remembering now what he had said, but Tyler had a fit. "Yeah, well let me know how you like getting bit."

He grabbed Stefan from behind, pulling him against his chest, and sinking his fangs into his neck. His arms were like steel bands, one wrapped around Stefan's stomach, the other up and over his shoulder, trapping him. He used his head as a block exposing the vampire's neck. Blood spurted into his mouth and he instinctively gulped it, astonished at the heady flavor. This was like no other blood he had consumed. He had drunk wines and liquors as a human that did not give him the taste and the buzz that Stefan's blood did. He was surprised that Stefan didn't fight him so he drank more until the blood no longer flowed freely and the bite marks closed. Taylor quickly lapped the drops remaining on Stefan's neck.

They remained in that position, both shocked by what had just transpired. To cover his confusion Tyler remarked, "the wound closed."

Stefan, making no attempt to move away from Tyler, said in a carefully nonchalant tone, "well, I'm always drinking your blood so it's possible I'm immune to your venom."

Both were slightly embarrassed as Tyler realized he still had the vampire trapped in his arms. He quickly released him and stepped away, looking everywhere but at him. Stefan rearranged his shirt and cleared his throat several times. They both started talking at the same time, one about a TV show they wanted to watch, the other about repainting a room for Mrs. Jenkins. Neither one talked about it again, but at the next full moon when Tyler went through his aggressive cycle Stefan just quietly offered his neck. This time when Tyler bit he raised his face from the vampire's neck and bared his teeth, nostrils flaring. Tyler breathing heavily, bit him several times and like before, this seemed to cool his angst.

After that second time, when Stefan again suffered no ill effects, Tyler would occasionally feed from Stefan's neck, not because he needed nourishment, but just for the sheer joy of the delicious blood. Jules had taught him to identify vampire smell, but Stefan's scent seemed to take on a unique significance for Tyler. Sometimes when he woke up he would put his nose next to Stefan's hair and just lay there enjoying the scent of his skin. The closer to the full moon it was, the more intoxicating Stefan's scent was. At full moon he felt an overwhelming urge to roll on Stefan like a dog finding a rotting carcass and reveling in it. Stefan would sometimes catch the hybrid smelling him and thought it was hilarious. "Why are you always smelling me?" He laughed.

Tyler would just grin sheepishly, unable to explain it to Stefan, until one day when Stefan was teasing him, he replied without thinking. "You smell like pack."

Stefan turned to look at him, more surprised at the look of shock on Tyler's face then by what he had said.

Tyler repeated it, more to himself then to the vampire. "You smell like pack. That's it, Stefan, you smell like me, like us, like pack." He looked at Stefan with new eyes. His mouth twisted and he said solemnly, "you're family."


	9. It Was Bound To End

Things went great until the fifth month. The day was miserable, rainy, dank, and cold. No one was out and the few wretched stores in the area were empty. The two stopped under an overhang on the sidewalk and slid down to sit on a stoop. The cement was rough and bone chilling, but neither minded the hard seats, preferring it to getting soaked.

They sat quietly for awhile, mesmerized by the steady thrumming of the rain on the overhang. Neither one spoke, both staring at the sidewalk. Tyler looked up and sighed. Stefan snuck a quick peek at him, but didn't break the silence.

Tyler picked up a stray piece cardboard lying on the sidewalk and started to absently shred it. "What do vampires do?" he asked, concentrating on carefully shredding the cardboard.

Stefan gave a small smile. "Whatcha mean?"

"I'm kind of lost here. I mean, all I thought about was staying alive, reconnecting with Caroline, and making sure my mother didn't get hurt. I never thought about what happened in the future." He stopped and looked out at the rain and then turned to Stefan. "So what is the future for a vampire? Do you get jobs? Do you go to school? What do vampires do?"

Stefan sighed and looked down at his clasped hands. "Every vampire is different. Some find things to do, like make a career out of going to school or following a hobby. Some drink their lives away. They usually end up in a fight and get killed. Some just can't adjust and give up. Walk out into the sun." He paused and picked up some gravel from the sidewalk. He tossed it up and down in his hand and then picked up the little pieces, tossing them one by one into the street. "It seems to me the ones who do best, are the ones who have friends, make families for themselves."

Tyler had stopped and stared at Stefan when he talked about walking out into the sun. He realized he was staring and resumed carefully shredding the cardboard. "What have you done?"

Stefan's lips twisted. "Half the time I was a ripper and it was a blur. I lost a chunk of time when Klaus compelled me to forget. Part of the time I was drying out with Lexi and was miserable. When I was sane and on animal blood I've done different things; had jobs – worked as a farm hand, trained as a doctor. Done things – climbed Mt. Everest, gone scuba diving, big game hunting." He gave a little laugh. "Tried to stay alive and believe me there a couple of times where the outcome was seriously in doubt." He shook his head as if amazed by his own past. "What brought this on, Tyler?"

Tyler threw down the little square of remaining cardboard and looked up as if asking for inspiration from the rainy sky. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. It was all set, Stefan. I was going to my father's alma mater. Get an MBA. Make useful contacts. Graduate, take over the family businesses. Go on an extended vacation throughout Europe. Settle down, run the family business. Marry, raise a family." He gave a sad little bewildered laugh. "What do I do now? What's my future?" he implored.

Stefan, sighed again, and hung his head. "Don't have answers for you. " He shook his head. "Don't know what I'm gonna do with the rest of my life." After a few moments, he said, "rain's tapering off. Let's get home before it starts pouring again."

"Home?" Tyler grumbled. "A miserable little house in a miserable town."

Stefan looked sideways at him, knowing part of it was just his mood today. He knew Tyler liked Mrs. Jenkins and the homey feeling her little house gave him. They both got up and brushed off their jeans and headed back through their favorite alleyways hoping to find someone hungry enough to venture out for a little dumpster dining.

Tyler came to an abrupt halt in an alleyway behind a local favorite restaurant. The dumpster usually had good pickings and attracted a large vagrant clientele. Stefan stopped with him and waited. He was attuned to Tyler's moods and body posture and knew immediately something was wrong.

The hybrid sniffed loudly, inhaling as much air as possible while turning his head from side to side. He hissed one word. "Vampire."

Stefan walked around the area, eyes searching, nostrils flaring, but he didn't have the sensitivity of the wolf and if a vampire had been here it was too long ago for him to detect.

He met Tyler's eyes and they both shrugged. "Bound to happen sooner or later," Stefan said matter-of-fact. "We have to decide if we can risk staying here."

Tyler looked off in the distance. He had just been complaining about the little house and now realizing their time here was coming to an end he was upset about it. It had become a symbol of home to him.

He looked back to find Stefan gazing at him with a sad sympathetic smile. "It's hard the first couple of times. You get comfortable with a place, with the people, and then Bam! It's not safe anymore and you have to move on."

"Does it ever get easy?" Tyler put his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders. They turned and walked together slowly, not caring that the fine mist coated their face and hair.

"It doesn't if you let yourself feel. If you try to turn it off then it doesn't hurt as much, but from what I hear you can't do that for long so you get used to it." Stefan mimicked Tyler's posture, hands in his jean pockets, kicking stray pieces of trash in his path as he walked. "It's not as bad when you move on with someone you know or go to people you know. You don't feel so isolated."

"I only talked that way about the house cause I was in a bad mood." Tyler felt guilty complaining about a place that had been good for him.

Stefan smiled and jabbed Tyler in the ribs with his elbow. "The house doesn't know you talked trash about it."

Tyler scowled. "Knock it off. You know what I meant." He walked and then vented his frustration. "I thought we would be safe. I was happy here. I missed my mom, sure, but at least she was safer with me gone. I should have kept my mouth shut. I start grousing and I jinxed us."

Stefan put a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "I told you Tyler, it was only a matter of time. We have to decide what we're going to do. Where we go. We should try to leave Mrs. Jenkins with some money."

"That's another thing. I hate leaving her alone. She's a target here – elderly, weak." Tyler was miserable, worrying about the old lady he had grown fond of.

"We can compel some of the toughs hanging around here that she's off limits and they'll keep the others away. Let's get her a stash of cash and compel her to forget us." Stefan was used to moving on fast and was already preparing the necessary steps.

"Forget us?" For some reason the fact that he would no longer be remembered by the lady who so obviously cared for him depressed Tyler.

"Knowledge of us will only get her hurt," Stefan said gently. He saw the pain in Tyler's face, but knew it was something he had to go through. He would try to be there for him, but he couldn't magically make it all better.

Tyler knew he was right, but it still hurt that she would see the freshly painted rooms, the sturdy staircase rail, and the beautifully repaired fence and not know that he had done it for her; because he wanted to please her. He vented his frustration with a particularly vicious kick at a perfectly innocent tin can lying on the sidewalk. He sent it flying several hundred feet.

"So, I guess we both accepted that we can't stay here even though we haven't actually said it." Stefan appeared thoughtful. He walked now with his head down, frowning. "Should we try to find the others?"

His question panicked Tyler for some reason. "Why? We're safer by ourselves."

"They may need our help."

"Is it Elena? Do you miss Damon?" Tyler was surprised to feel a stab of jealousy.

Stefan mulled this over in his mind. "I'm worried about them. I want them to be safe. I'll always love them, her, but I don't want to put them in any danger either." He looked at Tyler. "What do you think?"

Tyler asked, "does my opinion matter?"

Stefan stopped at the weird tone in Tyler's voice. He put his hand on the hybrid's shoulder. "Yes." He stressed. "Your opinion matters. It matters a great deal. I feel like we're a team. If we go searching for them or if we ever get to go home, we do it together. Don't you feel that way?" He anxiously searched the hybrid's face and was pleased when he was rewarded with a big smile.

"I do feel that way. " They turned, both of them relieved, to go back to Mrs. Jenkins' place.


	10. New Digs

They moved North up to a remote, sparsely populated, town not far from the Canadian border. Vampires tended to congregate near the large population areas, staying close to their prey species, so the two felt reasonably safe. They had traveled South first, raiding large hospital blood banks on the way. When they had a stash sufficient for three months they abruptly turned in the opposite direction on an easterly angle.

The little town was quiet and they managed to blend in, getting manual labor jobs working on the roads. They came home filthy at night to their little rented cottage, cleaned up, and hit the local bars. Tyler was surprised that such a small area could boast so many bars, but the more experienced Stefan informed him that drinking was usually a popular pastime in these isolated areas. They tried not to get entangled with the local woman, compelling the more forward ones to leave them alone. They didn't plan on staying long, only using it as a stopping point before deciding on their next move.

Tyler, especially, loved the woods and wide open spaces after the close confinement of the city. There were times when after the bars closed down he would race out into the woods, treasuring the feeling of freedom as he dodged trees and stirred up the debris on the forest floor. Stefan would follow him, often in the tree branches, playful pouncing on him, trying to catch him off guard. The two enjoyed the mock skirmishes.

The moon was full this night, the sky cold and clear, stars twinkling overhead. Tyler felt restless and unsatisfied. He wanted to be outside and . . and he didn't quite know what, but he felt the pull of the beautiful shining orb overhead.

Stefan watched his restless pacing from the corner of his eye.

"Let's go out." Tyler's carefully casual request was met with a knowing smile. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." Stefan smirked.

They left and sped out into the woods. Tyler, arms outstretched as if to embrace the moon, felt like the light was warming his body, much the way the sun did. It couldn't of course, but it didn't change the way he felt.

He took off running again from sheer joy and Stefan easily followed. Stefan slapped his arm. "You're it."

Tyler laughed and took off after him. Stefan twisted and turned, double backed and danced backwards just out of Tyler's reach. Tyler laughed, enjoying the chase and feeling the speed and strength in his limbs.

Agile as Stefan was, Tyler eventually managed to tag him and then took off at top speed. Stefan rushed after him and they danced through the trees.

Suddenly both froze. Out of the myriad of little sounds in the evening forest they were able to pick out one that was wrong. Tyler lifted his nose and opened his mouth slightly allowing his tongue help him distinguish the scent.

A quick rush and Stefan punched down a werewolf. The wolf hit the ground and flipped immediately rushing in for another attack. Tyler quickly intervened as Stefan's eye veins darkened and his fangs emerged. Tyler's eyes went yellow and he bared his double fangs, snarling a warning. The werewolf froze in position and backed off uncertain. The wolf tried to sidestep, but Tyler turned always facing him; he was always between the wolf and the vampire. He lunged aggressively and the wolf scurried backwards, tail between its legs. It whined uncertainly and then fled.

When he heard the footsteps fade Tyler allowed his face to return to human form and turned to Stefan. There was a rip and blood on the vampire's shirt. Stefan was pulling it back to look at the wound. There were puncture marks, but the telltale purpling and oozing were not present. It wasn't healed, but it appeared like a normal puncture wound for a human. They both examined it and then looked at each other. Tyler pulled at it and Stefan winced. "That hurts."

"Don't be such a baby," was the unsympathetic reply. "It doesn't look like a normal werewolf bite. Do you think you're immune?"

"I don't know. I may be partially immune. It doesn't feel bad like when you first bit me, but it's not healing like a normal cut." Stefan shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

"Let's get back to the cottage. We've never been out this far and we must have crossed over into a pack's territory. I haven't seen any signs in our town."

The two quickly sped back.


	11. Meeting

The next morning was Saturday so they divided up the chores. It was Tyler's turn to buy supplies and Stefan's to get the coffee. As he walked out of the little Mom and Pop coffee shop with his two to-go cups he was surrounded and hustled into an adjoining alleyway on the side of the building.

He was pushed against the side of the building, his arms pinned to the wall by two sturdy men. Another younger man and woman, resembling each other with the same dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and slightly prominent noses, peered at him. The woman put her hand under his jaw, clamping his mouth shut. She then surprised him by sticking her nose on his lips and then running it over his hair, sniffing the whole time. She then opened his shirt and proceeded to smell his skin, inhaling so hard he felt the suction of her nose on his skin.

"What are you?" she demanded, totally disregarding the fact that her hand had his mouth clamped shut so there was no possibility of him answering.

The young man answered her. "He's not human." He reached out a hand and fingered the bite mark on Stefan's wrist. "This is who I bit alright, but he's not infected. It's already three quarters healed so he's not human, but he can't be vampire."

"Smells like wolf, but stinky contaminated wolf." The woman shook her head, confused. "And it's daytime. Never heard of a vampire that could walk in the sun."

Stefan sensed him before the others and was prepared when Tyler rushed in and knocked over one of the men holding Stefan. He quickly freed himself from the other one. Tyler partially changed scaring them so bad they tripped over themselves to get away from him.

The young man and woman groveled with bent legs and lowered heads and Tyler, instinctively recognizing signs of submission, simply stood in a dominant posture.

"You don't touch my vampire." Stefan looked sideways at him, but didn't argue the point. They could discuss his proclamation of ownership in private.

The others stood up slowly and turned their bodies sideways not directly confronting Tyler.

"How can he be a vampire when he smells like wolf and walks in the sun?" The young woman, actually on closer inspection more of a girl, seemed to be the leader or spokesperson for the group, but all of them seemed genuinely curious.

"Long story. We don't want trouble. We didn't realize there was a pack here or we would have bypassed the place," Tyler explained.

The woman nodded. "I'm Tasha and this is my brother Josh. " She pointed to first one, and then the other,saying, "Tom and that's Joe. They're not from here. Just passing through and stopped for the full moon."

"I'm Tyler and this is Stefan." The werewolves shook hands with Tyler, accepting his presence, but wouldn't go near Stefan.

Josh pointed to the open coffee cups, lids askew, on the ground. "We ruined your coffee so why don't you let us buy you a cup." Tasha nodded agreement. "It's only fair."

Joe said, "we'll be hitting the road. We have a long drive back and we want to make it during the day."

Tom added, "there's a vampire nest south of here and it's safest to go through in the daytime." He stopped, gave Stefan a dirty look, and then elaborated. "At least we always thought it was safe during the daytime."

They quickly said their goodbyes to Tasha and Josh and got in their pickup and left.

The other four headed back into the coffee shop. Tasha and Josh were careful to position themselves so that Tyler was between them and Stefan. Tyler was greatly amused when he realized what they were doing. He whispered for Stefan's ears only. "Big, bad vampire."

Stefan just smirked and let it pass.

They sat at a table in the corner, the young man and woman with their chairs close together, as far away from Stefan as possible.

Everyone was quiet until they were served and then Tyler speaking low enough so that only supernatural ears could hear opened the conversation. "How did I not pick up your scent in town?"

"We're from two towns over. We stay out of here normally, haven't been here in around three months. We only came over because my brother told me about meeting you last night." Tyler and Stefan quickly looked at each other, both thinking the same thing – that explains the resemblance between them.

Tasha apparently spoke for both of them most of the time because she continued. "We wanted to find out what had moved in here and figured it was best to check it out while we had Joe and Tom here. Strength in numbers you know; not that we don't have other resources."

Josh grabbed her arm quickly, as if in warning. She looked down at his hand and then up at him and smiled reassuringly, as if to say 'don't worry'.

"So are you vampires or werewolves? When did you get here? How can you walk in the sun? Are there others like you? Why are you here? Are you looking to take over?" She peppered them with questions so fast they didn't have a chance of answering any of them.

All three of the men shared a chuckle and Josh shrugged with a 'what can you do with her' gesture.

She ended up laughing self consciously along with them. "Grammsie says my tongue does rattle on."

Tyler and Stefan looked at each other and Stefan said, "might as well tell them. They know you're different and we can't stay now anyways. Joe and Tom know about us and if anyone stops them or they talk then we're blown."

It took two more rounds of coffee for Tyler to tell their story. Tasha and Josh listened attentively, mouths open at some parts. It took such a long time because Tasha just couldn't seem to halt her flow of questions.

When Tyler finished, the brother and sister looked at each other, and Josh spoke for the first time since entering the coffee shop. "I think we should take them to see Grammsie."

Tasha pursed her lips, nodded several times in agreement. "We'll pick you guys up later on this afternoon. There's someone that will want to meet you and I think you'll want to meet her.

They said goodbye then and quickly left, leaving Tyler and Stefan sitting at the table.

"Did we do the right thing?" Tyler's brow was wrinkled with uncertainty.

"First of all, never ask a Salvatore about doing the right thing. My family doesn't have a good track record when it comes to decisions. But putting that aside, I think we did." He got up, putting a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Let's get outta here."


	12. Another Meeting

That afternoon the four of them walked up to a tiny, sturdily built wooden cabin nestled in a valley. Smoke from a wood fire curled out the brick chimney on the side of the house. The area around the cabin was clear of woods. Chickens and a few pigs rooted in the mostly dirt yard, moving freely.

Tasha ignored the three stairs leading up to the porch and leapt up, calling, "Grammsie!"

"Bout time you came home, Tasha."

An elderly woman, wiping her hands on an apron, came to the door, moving confidently despite milky white eyes that stared straight forward. She did not come outside, but stood in the doorway.

Tasha said, "Grammsie, want you to meet my new friends, Tyler and Stefan."

"I'd like to shake your hands." The old woman tilted her head to one side.

Tyler moved forward and reached for her hand. She clasped his right hand with both of hers as if sensing where his hand was without seeing it.

"Oh my, oh my!" She ran her hand up his forearm. Her face showed her astonishment. "Can it be? Can the curse really have been broken? "

Stefan and Tyler exchanged startled glances.

"You know about the curse?" Stefan asked.

"Witches born to the major bloodlines all know the story. So the doppelganger was born again and the hybrid solved the riddle. I can't believe I actually lived to see it happen!"

"It's true Grammsie. He doesn't have to change and he drinks blood." Tasha thought for a moment. "How come Stefan can walk in the sun?"

Stefan spoke up. "We should shake hands."

She released her hold on Tyler and the hybrid stepped aside.

Stefan stepped forward, hands outstretched, palms up. Grammsie unerringly placed her hands palms down on his forearms. She sucked her breath in and reached a hand up to Stefan's face, running her fingers gently over it.

She smiled. "Your soul is pure."

Stefan frowned. "You're not the first one to say that. What does it mean?"

She appeared amused by his question. "That's a long story and I don't care to tell it standing. By the way Tasha he's wearing the reason he can walk in the sun. A witch has helped this boy out." She held up his hand and twisted the ring on his finger. She dropped it and formally issued an invitation. "You may come in."

"You're inviting a vampire and a hybrid into your house?"

"Grammsie can kick your butt if you cause any trouble. She is one powerful witch."

An amused cackling greeted Tasha's boast. "That I am child . . . that I am."

Stefan and Tyler exchanged glances. Stefan nodded, eager to hear what the witch could tell him.

They walked into a neat but shabby, crowded front parlor. Grammsie led the way, saying, "let's go in the kitchen. It's comfortable and I could do with a cup of tea."

"I smell my favorite cookies." Josh spoke for the first time.

"Boy would eat me out of house and home if I let him." Grammsie grumbled fondly. "Course, I made your cookies. I knew you were coming."

"Grammsie sees things most people don't," Tasha said proudly.

They sat around the wooden kitchen table on well worn chairs while the old woman went to the stove and poured tea into five waiting cups. Stefan's eyebrows rose as he looked from the cups to Tyler. Tyler shrugged and smiled.

"When the good lord took my eyesight, he gave me another kind of sight. That's how I knew you were coming."

The tea had steeped and was ready to pour. Stefan jumped up and gave out the cups.

"Thanks, child."

He laughed. "I'm a hundred and sixty three now."

She smiled back at him. "Still a child though. You'll be a good man when you figure yourself out, but you're still a ripper."

Stefan stopped mid sip and spilled a little of his tea. He quickly blotted it with the napkin Josh passed him. "How do you know I'm a ripper?"

"Cause your soul's pure."

"What's one got to do with the other?" Tyler mumbled around a mouthful of cookie. "These are good."

"Told ya," Josh said, as he picked up three more.

Grammsie slapped his hand. "Save some for company."

Tyler wrinkled his brow, stumped by the fact she knew Josh had taken the cookies. He was tempted to wave a hand in front of her eyes to see if she really couldn't see. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge of what a witch could do to him if he pissed her off.

She sipped her tea and said, "that Original witch, she really messed things up. Death is part of life, part of nature. Witches are supposed to be the servants of nature, not the boss of nature. She upset the balance. Her family was punished for her presumption. You can't do that."

She sighed, shaking her head.

"And then she knew that boy wasn't her husband's child. Knew she had mated with a werewolf. What was she thinking? Well, she paid with her life."

"Ah, no, no she didn't actually." Stefan interrupted.

"What do you mean?" She grasped his arm. "She's alive?"

"Last we knew, yes and she was trying to undo what she had done. We're fleeing from the battle, that's how we ended up here. We have no idea who survived."

"That's bad. That's why things are so unsettled." Her face was grave.

"How do you know about her? Are you a Bennett?" Tyler asked.

That amused the old woman. "No, I'm from another bloodline, but I know about the Bennetts, not that that's the original family name. Every five to seven generations the family names change, but I know the line. My bloodline is similar in power. Most of the families intermarry at some point so the lines aren't really pure."

"Our mother was a witch too." Tasha had been quiet for awhile, listening.

"Yes, she was. My daughter was at least as powerful as me. Tasha would have been strong too if she hadn't turned. Nature won't allow a witch to be a werewolf or vampire too." The old woman looked troubled. "My daughter met Tommy, their father. She knew right away he had the werewolf gene – she didn't need me to tell her, but she told me – 'Mama, he's beautiful inside. I don't care'. So she married him and passed it on to my grandchildren. He was a good man, who was lucky enough to avoid the curse, but I blame myself for not trying harder to stop the marriage."

"Hey, it's not your fault!" Both Josh and Tasha jumped in, loudly contesting their Grandma's guilt.

She reached out and grasped a hand of both children.

"What happened to you guys? How did you turn?" Stefan asked.

"Tasha got jumped by four guys." Josh shrugged. "It got ugly . . two of them had knives. I killed one by accident. I didn't want it to go that far."

"The other one slashed Josh and I just went crazy and smashed his head with a rock. I was so scared for Josh that I just kept smashing him and – and I killed him." Her voice was bland, like she was telling a very boring story, but her shiny eyes betrayed how upset she was.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments. Grammsie pulled herself together first. "More tea anyone?"

"I want some." Stefan said, "sit," as the old lady moved to get up. "I'll pour."

When Stefan had poured more tea for those who pushed their mugs forward and sat back down the witch said, "now, you'll be wanting to know why you're a ripper."

Stefan leaned forward. "Yeah, why me? My brother's not."

"Your brother is a vampire too?"

"Yeah, one of the doppelganger's turned both of us."

"Hmmmm. Well, a vampire is an offense against nature. Death is part of life, you're not supposed to bypass that part of the cycle. Not that witches don't try it. Some try to prolong their lives or save lives with magic, fooling themselves into thinking that they tricked Nature. They don't – there is always a price to be paid. They either pay with their lives or the lives of those closest to them, but misery or death is the consequence. But, I'm getting sidetracked. You're not interested in that."

She paused, frowned, and took another sip of tea, marshalling her thoughts. "The price a vampire pays is to be banned from the sun, allergy to vervain, fire, and wood, and to drink human blood. You might not think drinking human blood is a punishment, but to many it is. Some that are in transition just can't stomach the thought and let themselves die. They don't want to hurt other people. A pure soul, by rights, shouldn't make the transition. In fact it's a rarity. But if they somehow do become vampires then they can't adjust to living off other humans. They can't stay in balance and they either abstain or they go crazy. That's why they're called rippers. Their conscience can't handle the hurting of humans, but their bodies crave the blood. They black out to save themselves and then when they come to, the guilt is overwhelming." She stopped and tilted her head, a small smile on her face. "Sound familiar?"

Three sets of eyes, some wide in amazement, turned to stare at Stefan. He was looking at his cup, a sad look on his face. "Yeah, yeah it does."

He straightened up. "Thank you. At least I understand myself a little bit better. It will help."

She reached a hand over to cover his. "It's a hard row you plough, boy. You can't do it alone."

Tyler gruffly spoke, "he won't be alone."

Grammsie smiled. "I didn't think he would be." She abruptly changed the subject. "I have contacts in the witch world, ways of finding out information. Both of you leave me some of your blood in case I need it, especially you Tyler. I think hybrid blood will be more important than vampire. I'll contact you when I get some information."

Stefan said, "I think we need to leave here. We don't want to cause trouble. Keep Tasha and Josh close for awhile until you're sure we haven't been followed."

"I will do just that." Grammsie promised. "Let me know how to get in touch with you. Shouldn't be too long before I can get you some information."

Tyler and Stefan, after saying goodbye, returned to their cottage to pack up the few belongings they cared to take with them. Tyler looked around one last time before leaving, making sure they cleaned up their traces as much as they could. "Isn't there a song about on the road again?"

Stefan laughed. "Yeah, there is. I'll sing it for you if you want."

"No!" Was the immediate response. "Radio only on this road trip."


	13. The Call

Stefan's phone buzzed. He absently grabbed it out of his jacket pocket and flipped it open. He didn't recognize the number. Tyler waited patiently, hands in his pockets.

"Hello."

"They're dead."

"What?" Tyler, hearing the conversation clearly, moved closer to Stefan.

"They're all dead. Klaus, the witch, and the other children. Except for one . . one is still alive."

Stefan finally recognized the voice. "Grammsie!" Stefan sighed deeply. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, ripper, I'm sure."

"Whose alive?

"I can't tell. I can only identify the witch and the hybrid for sure."

"Thanks, Grammsie."

"Be careful boy." That was the last thing she said before she cut the connection.

Stefan slowly closed the phone, putting it in his pocket, before looking over at Tyler's shocked face.

"We can go home," Stefan said slowly.

"We'll have to be careful," Tyler said cautiously. "There may be hybrids left with orders from Klaus."

He looked troubled. "I wonder what we'll find."

Stefan, arms folded, shook his head. "Don't know. Just gonna have to see. Let's get going. Nothing in this crappy town I need to bring with me."

"I'll drive." Their car was a beat up contraption they had brought for five hundred dollars, but Tyler hated being a passenger.


	14. Finale

"Come in Stefan. It's safe."

Tyler and Stefan had parted on the outskirts of the town; Tyler sneaking in to see his mother, Stefan heading to the Mikaelson manor. Tyler, not being certain what awaited them, wanted to take advantage of perhaps his only chance to see his mother and planned on meeting Stefan later at the Originals' house.

Stefan had cautiously scouted the area around the big white home, moving as silently as possible, but had been detected before he had even circled the house once.

He recognized Elijah's voice and warily walked up the front steps, pausing several times to listen for sounds of an ambush. He opened the unlocked door and stepped through, leaving it ajar in case he had to make a hasty departure.

"In the library."

Stefan located the voice and hesitantly entered to find Elijah comfortably ensconced in an overstuffed arm chair, legs crossed, finger marking his place in the open book now resting on his lap. A decanter and glasses were at his elbow. He was casually dressed; khakis, a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the neck open, boat shoes with no socks. He was obviously spending a relaxed evening at home.

"Drink?" He was always the cordial host.

Stefan silently shook his head, declining.

"I must say I am surprised, but pleased to see you. Please sit. We need to talk."

The vampire took a chair diagonal to the Original. He sat leaning forward, hands on his knees. Elijah's keen vision allowed him to see a minute trembling in his hands. Apparently Stefan noticed it also because he quickly clasped them together, knuckles turning white from the pressure of holding them still.

Stefan gazed at his face for a moment before asking, "how did you survive?"

Elijah countered with his own question. "How did you know to come back?"

"I met a witch."

Elijah silently laughed, throwing his head back. "Of course you did. Why am I not surprised? The witches know everything." He sipped his drink before replying. "I survived because I did not drink the toast proposed by my mother. I learned to be cautious over the years. Learned that you can't always trust the ones you love. My mother conspired with Finn to kill everyone." A harsh laugh escaped from him. "I ended up killing my mother, thus doing the very thing I couldn't forgive my brother for doing." He sighed and then carefully marked the page he was reading with a book marker, before laying it aside on the table. He asked, "so how did you survive the bite?"

"Tyler's blood. A lot of Tyler's blood. His bite no longer affects me and I think I'm partially immune now to the bite from other strains."

"Interesting." Elijah laid a finger to the side of his head, looking intrigued. "By the way, where is the hybrid?"

"He went to visit his mother."

"Is he going to tell her you survived?"

"No. No one knows we're here and we decided the least said the better until we found out what was going on."

Elijah nodded, seeming pleased. He slouched slightly and laced his fingers over his trim stomach. He pursed his lips and studied Stefan's strained face. "I imagine you want to know who else survived and it's cruel to keep you in suspense."

Stefan nodded, afraid of what he was going to hear.

"Elena and Damon are alive."

Stefan let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding and swallowed convulsively, his eyes suddenly hopeful, his taut features relaxing.

"However," Elijah continued "there are some things you should be aware of. Elijah drummed his fingers on the arm chair and tossed his hair back from his forehead.

Stefan's eyes grew wary again.

"Let's talk about Damon and Katerina first." At Stefan's surprised look Elijah gave a sly half smile and said, "yes, Katerina plays into this. She truly loved you, unbelievable as it sounds." He paused and picked up his glass again, swirling the amber liquor.

Elijah snorted with amusement. "Katerina was devastated by your death. She let slip that she fell in love with you when you called her an angel." He smirked. "Really, Stefan! An angel?"

The vampire shrugged, but made no move to defend himself.

"She turned to Damon in her sorrow. As I'm sure you already knew, Damon, for all his bluster and bravado, is a very sensitive individual. Katerina's rejection, on top of your father's, sent him off the deep end. Things got very ugly here for awhile. I won't go into it; it's a long story and not relevant anymore. Let me just say that he sincerely mourned your loss. Guilt over your death drove the first wedge between him and Elena. Once Damon was no longer frantic with the stress of trying to keep Elena from getting killed or jealously competing with you, he was able to think rationally about their relationship. Your brother, for all that he tries my patience, is fundamentally a good man. He understood that Elena did not want to become a vampire and that while she loved him, it wasn't the same love she felt for you. In the end he accepted that and I think they parted as friends."

"Anyway," Elijah continued. "Katerina had always loved Damon, but it was overshadowed by her love for you. They, shall we say, renewed their love while consoling each other over their grief for you and seem to have rediscovered their fascination for each other." He shook his head smiling, obviously amused by the situation. He added as an afterthought. "Katerina and I, by the way, have made our peace. I will no longer seek revenge or try to kill her."

Stefan heard him out and then said with complete sincerity, "I'm glad things turned out for him, for them. I – I will never feel right that I forced him to transition, but this makes it a little easier to bear. I want him to be happy."

Stefan said nothing more, just sat, hands clasped, staring at the floor, half hoping, half dreading what he would hear about Elena.

Elijah stared at his bowed head sympathetically. He spoke seriously now without the amusement he had shown when talking about Damon.

"Elena confided in me about her love for you. How you rescued her when she was so lost over her parents' death. How much she owed you for making her want to live again. How much she admired you when she realized how you had to fight every day just to keep living. How she loved you for respecting her decisions even when you knew it was wrong and cost you."

"But," Stefan said.

"But," Elijah repeated. "You know she never wanted to become a vampire. Your death hurt her deeply, but she's one who has seen and survived so much loss already and she's young and hearty. Matt was there for her every step of the way. He never stopped loving her and I think she once again realized how much she cared for him. He's not you but . . "

Stefan's lips twisted. "There's that but again."

"There's one last thing you need to be aware of. There are no vampires or werewolves in Mystic Falls. I came to an amicable agreement with the Town Council. In exchange for their tolerance of my living here I offered them my protection and will keep all supernatural creatures out of this town. Damon and Katerina are aware of this and will not return. I wonder how your hybrid's mother is going to break the news to him."

"Isn't Elena a supernatural creature?" Stefan asked quietly, looking at Eliajh from under lowered brows.

"Touche!" Elijah made a fencer's gesture acknowledging the hit. "Let me revise my statement. All other supernatural creatures except Elena are forbidden entry into Mystic Falls."

"Bonnie?"

Elijah sobered. "She did not survive the final encounter; neither did her mother or her cousin. That ends the Bennett line in this town, and the rest of the family has no desire to come near this place."

Stefan bowed his head. It pained him to hear that Bonnie, whom he had always felt a connection with, had liked and admired, had died.

Elijah gave him a moment to come to terms with what he had learned.

"You care for Elena, don't you?" Stefan asked finally.

"Yes, yes I do. She is under my protection for as long as she lives. As I said before she never wanted to be a vampire. Matt is a good man and will make a good husband. I think without you there is no conflict for her. I think she can be happy and it gives me a sense of pleasure to watch Tatia's descendent achieve contentment." Elijah met his eyes. "Yes. You heard our story – know how Niklaus and I loved the same woman."

Stefan inhaled quickly, not quite a sob, and said bitterly, "it sounds like the best thing for everyone is for me to stay dead."

"I'm sorry, but I think so."

"What about you? What are you going to do with the rest of your life?" Stefan asked, genuinely curious.

"I need to mourn . . mourn my family . . mourn the life I should have had. I have never allowed myself closure on what I lost. I will stay in Mystic Falls for Elena's lifetime and then decide what to do." He smiled. "I have time."

Elijah looked past Stefan. "I hear your friend approaching." He raised his voice slightly. "Come in."

They both heard the front door swing wide and the hybrid's footsteps.

Elijah pointed to the sofa. "Please sit down."

Tyler declined, standing in the doorway. "Not going to stay. Just wanted to let Stefan know I'm here."

The Original raised his eyebrows. "Did your visit with your mother go well?"

"She told me about the pact – no supernaturals in Mystic Falls. I only came to tell her goodbye anyways. I don't fit in here. I need to find out where I do fit. She's made arrangements so I'll always own the house, always get money from the estate." He shrugged. "I have cousins she can use to manage it."

He looked to Stefan. "What about you? "

Stefan looked at the floor for awhile and then up to Elijah who responded to his unspoken question. "I will not permit either of you to live here. Elena would probably follow you if you revealed yourself to her, but I ask you to think about the consequences before you take that step."

Stefan sadly replied, "sounds like things are better left as they are."

"Once again I can only say I'm sorry Stefan, but I think they are." Elijah sounded sincerely regretful.

The vampire shrugged and said, "guess I'll be going."

He got up and slowly walked past Tyler who moved out of the doorway. Elijah followed them, watching from the front door as they walked away.

"Eliiiijah!" Stefan turned back to face the Original, face contorted with the useless effort to try and hold back tears, his breaking voice, making the Original's name sound like a plea for help. Tyler, stopped, not knowing what to do or say.

"Would you – If you had to do it over – could go back – had her here – would you walk away?"

Elijah was instantly in front of Stefan, eyes locked with his, his hand firmly holding Stefan's chin, each word delivered with the impact of a bullet. "I loved Tatia. I loved her with all my being. We denied her the chance to watch her child grow. She had so much to offer, so much she hadn't done. If I had known what would happen to her, I would have left. I would have let my brother have her. I would have given her, her life – a chance to be happy and love her child. You think you are in pain now. You have no idea how fortunate you are to have this chance. Forever is a long time to hate yourself for hurting the one you love. To know that there is no chance for redemption." He released his firm grip only to gently cup the vampire's cheek. "Be at peace Stefan."

Stefan, trying to control his sobs, nodded his acceptance.

Elijah reassuringly squeezed his shoulder before turning away once more.

They heard Elijah's parting words from inside the house. "I'll be looking you up in eighty years or so. You better behave yourselves."

The two walked away slowly, Stefan wiping his cheeks with the back of his hands. Tyler self consciously averted his gaze while he waited for Stefan to regain control.

He looked at him when he heard. "Have you ever climbed Mt Everest?"

Tyler, puzzled, frowned. "No."

"Ever skin dived down to some of the wrecks in the Caribbean? There's real pirate ships on the bottom."

"No."

"Been to the top of Angel Falls?"

Tyler smiled now. "No."

"Gone into the Caverns and sinkholes in Mexico, the blue holes in the Bahamas?"

"No."

"You have been missing out on a lot of things. We better get going; we've got a lot of stuff to do."

Tyler slung an arm around Stefan's shoulder. "I'm not crazy bout heights, you know?"

"Are you kidding? A hybrid afraid of heights?"

"I'm glad you're coming with me. I don't know what I'd do without my vampire."

"I'm not your vampire. You're my hybrid."

Tyler got him in a headlock and they tussled as they walked away, arguing about who owned who and what to do first.

~Fin~


End file.
